Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

A Muppet always pays his debts – Sesame Street finds new home behind paywall

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, announced a programming deal that will send Sesame Street from its longtime publicly-subsidized home on PBS to the corporate Time Warner-owned home of Westeros on HBO. According to a press release from Sesame Workshop, the deal includes:

  • a five-year order of 35 episodes per season (nearly twice its current 18 episodes per season);
  • 150 library episodes;
  • a muppet-based spinoff series;
  • an additional educational series;
  • library episodes from Sesame Workshop-produced shows Pinky Dinky Doo; and,
  • 2009 reboot of the 1970s educational series The Electric Company.

New episodes of Sesame Street will begin airing on HBO as early as this fall.

Exact financial details of the agreement were not immediately released. On the surface, this looked like a surprise move. After all, aside from movies, HBO is known primarily for its adult-themed programs like Game of Thrones, The Wire, Girls, and True Detective because FCC governance is less strict on premium television. However, the move benefits both Sesame Workshop and HBO.

From the article "A Muppet always pays his debts – Sesame Street finds new home behind paywall" by Glenn Hower.

Previously In The News

How to succeed in the 50+ healthcare market

The population of the United States is aging in a profound way, helped along by a bolus of baby boomers now between 53 and 71 years of age. It’s a huge opportunity for innovative startups, though i...

Almost 50 Percent Of Smart Home Devices Are Self-Installed, Report Finds

A recent study conducted by Parks Associates confirmed the growing popularity of smart devices in the U.S. home security market. The study found that the sale of wireless home security products is on...

Study: Netflix Has Lowest Churn Rate Among OTT Services

Brett Sappington, senior director of research at Parks Associates, said: “Several factors contribute to OTT video service churn by consumers. In some instances, consumers are experimenting with new se...

Sling TV, Showtime, CBS Gaining Ground in OTT Share

Parks Associates has updated its top 10 list for subscription OTT video services, based on the number of subscribers, with Netflix holding the lead spot while Sling TV, Showtime and CBS moved up or en...